Hajduk is expected to present Dennis Hadžikadunić today, a 28-year-old Bosnia and Herzegovina international arriving as a free agent after eight years at Rostov, and his arrival clearly signals a shift in Garcia's thinking about the defense.
If everything goes as expected, Hajduk could present a fresh addition for the current season to the public today. That new player is Dennis Hadžikadunić, who is 28 years old and plays for the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team; he arrives at Poljud without a contractual obligation, having been registered with the Russian club Rostov for eight years. Simply put, the new player arrives without any transfer fee.
Although he was a member of Rostov since 2018, the 190-centimeter-tall center-back has spent the last five seasons on loan at Malmö, where he grew up, Mallorca, HSV, and Sampdoria. Over the past three seasons, he had solid playing time in the lower leagues in Germany and Italy. For HSV (over two seasons) and Sampdoria (in one season), he averaged around 25 league appearances and approximately 2,000 minutes per year.
Although born and raised in Sweden, this footballer chose to play for Bosnia and Herzegovina, where he has been a regular member since 2020. This year, he participated with Bosnia and Herzegovina in the World Cup in the USA, Canada, and Mexico, where in the final group match against Qatar, he played 27 minutes and assisted on a goal by Ermin Mahmić in a 3:1 victory.
The signing of Hadžikadunić is also a sort of admission by Hajduk's coach Gonzalo Garcia that he does indeed need a center-back whose forte is defensive duties, not just building up play and technical quality on the ball, as is the case with the current starters, Darije Marešić and Alec Van Hoorenbeeck.
Hadžikadunić is a typical, strong center-back who stands out for his reliable defending, good positioning, and aerial ability. Marešić and Van Hoorenbeeck were criticized at the start of the season for defensive weaknesses, especially in guarding the penalty area and positioning, which likely prompted Hajduk's people to change their plan.
Beyond the tactical and profile characteristics, Hadžikadunić should also bring much-needed experience to Hajduk's defense. This is not just about him being, at 28, the most experienced center-back in Hajduk's squad, but also a player with experience from Spain, Germany, and Italy.
Throughout his career, he has had the opportunity to mark attackers like Kylian Mbappé, Karim Benzema, Harry Kane, Antoine Griezmann, Álvaro Morata, and many others. That experience will be of great benefit to the Whites, especially for the young defenders at the club such as Marin Skelin and Roko Gabrić.
